Will Bayley took to the airwaves – with his mates from Brighton TTC – to promote some causes close to his heart as guest editor of a BBC Radio show.

The 2016 Paralympic champion took the reins for Sarah Gorrell’s four-hour show on BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey from 10am-2pm on Friday.

He was the first of five guest editors who will be responsible for shaping the content of one edition of the show in the coming weeks.

Will was able to showcase the work of Brighton Table Tennis Club, as well as the Dreams Come True charity and Great Ormond Street Hospital, which helped him as a child.

He was also the lunchtime guest on the show, when he talked with the host about his life and career.

Also joining Sarah in the studio were Brighton TTC founder Tim Holtam, one of the club’s outreach workers Tim Kreel, junior player Ziad and Down’s Syndrome athlete Harry Fairchild, who has won world and European medals and is a qualified coach.

They spoke about the work the club carries out in the community, from grassroots initiatives to performance training.

Nick, a former teacher who has worked for the club for about eight years, told listeners: “Table tennis is really good for children’s and adults’ welfare, it’s great for your mental health and your physical health.

“It’s not about being the best, it’s about being the best you can be and enjoying it and when I see the difference it’s made to some of our players with long-term health conditions, it’s really transformative.”

Tim, who talked about the journey of the club from opening with two broken tables 18 years ago to where they are now, said of Will: “He’s a superstar. He’s overcome all the adversity to become the Paralympic champion – he’s like the personification of the club’s values.”

Click here to listen to the show – the Brighton contingent appear from 1:06.45 onwards and Will’s lunchtime slot begins at 2:08.34.

Will said: “I found it quite overwhelming. What [regular editor] Sam does is amazing, he’s got to think about so many things at once. It’s very hard but I’ve loved it.

“It’s really cool to come into the studio and invite my best friends on to the show.”